Ironing board clothes hanger



Sept. 22, 1959 B. E. SMITH ETAL 2,905,423

IRONING BOARD CLOTHES HANGER Filed June 18, 1958 INVENTORJ Ben/N5? 5. SM/TH ROBERT P H/qevls'y ATTORNEYS IRONING BOARD CLOTHES HANGER Brenner E. Smith, Greenfield, and Robert 1. Harvey, Longmeadow, Mass., assignors to J. H. Smith Co., Inc., Greenfield, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application June 18, 1958, Serial No. 742,813

" Claims. (Cl. 248-226) This invention relates to garment support attachments for ironing boards and the like and more particularly to such attachments as are collapsible when not in use.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a novel garment support attachment of compact and sturdy construction.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel garment support attachment which may be compactly folded out of the way while attached to an ironing board permitting the free use of the ironing surface of the board.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a novel garment support attachment which may be compactly and securely folded while attached to an ironing board so that the board may be collapsed and put away without removal or disassembly of the attachment.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will be more readily apparent from a reading of the following specification of which the following drawings are a part:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the garment support attachment of this invention disposed in set-up condition on an ironing board;

Fig. 2 is a detailed View in enlarged scale of the upper right hand portion of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detailed view similar to Fig. 2 but showing an alternate embodiment;

Fig. 4 is a detailed view in enlarged scale of the lower portion of Fig. 1 with the attachment in a secured position;

Fig. 5 is a section taken along the lines 55 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a section taken along the lines 6-6 of Fig. 4.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings a garment support device embodying the present invention is shown attached to an edge portion of an ironing board 8. The device comprises a clamp 10 for attaching the device to the board 8, a tubular support 12 in the form of a sheath, and a garment support or hanger bar 14. The upper edge of the bar 14 is provided with a plurality of spaced notches 16 for receiving clothes hangers which may be used for holding freshly ironed garments. The bar 14 is generally horizontal when in use and is disposed outwardly of the board 8; the support 12 is of sufficient length so that clothes hung on the bar 14 will be clear of the floor. It will be readily apparent that this device may be clamped to any edge portion of the ironing board so that it will be readily accessible to the person ironing.

As best seen in Figs. 4 and 6 the clamp 11) is of generally C-shaped construction and is formed of two similarly shaped portions of sheet metal which are secured together face to face as by welding, thus providing a rigid clamp of double thickness. The lower arm of clamp 10 is provided with a cylindrical sleeve portion 17 formed by a semi-cylindrical curved surface which is stamped in each half portion of the clamp. The sleeve 17 receives a screw 18 which is threaded through a nut 20 located in a slot 19 disposed through the sleeve 17. The upper end of 2,905,423 Patented Sept. 22, 1959 the screw 18 is provided with a flanged head portion 22 for engaging the undersurface of the board 8. The upper arm of the clamp 10 includes a horizontally disposed fiat surface 24 which is formed by flaps which are bent outwardly from the two opposite half portions of the clamp. The surface 24 is disposed in spaced aligned vertical relationship with the sleeve 17 and is adapted to engage the upper surface of the board 8.

The support 12 is pivotally mounted on the clamp 10 by a construction such as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. A tab 26 extends upwardly from the upper arm portion of clamp 10 and receives a pivot pin 28 which also extends through opposite side wall portions of the support 12 and is held in place by a nut 30. The support 12 may be pivoted to either a generally horizontal position when not in use (Fig. 4) or to an upright position as shown in Fig. 1 when in use. The nut 30 may be sufficiently tightened so that the support 12 will generally remain in a selected angular position with respect to the clamp 10 unless deliberately moved to another position.

An extension 32 extends from the lower end portion of the support 12 and is offset from the pivot point of support 12 about the pin 28. The extension 32 engages a vertical surface 34 of the clamp 10 when the support 12 is pivoted to its upright position as shown in Fig. 1. The extension 32 thus stops the support 12 in its upright position and holds it in that position against the weight of garments placed on the bar 14.

The vertical portion of clamp 11) includes a channel 38 defined by the surface 34 and side walls 39 and 40 which extend rearwardly in spaced parallel relationship from the rear portion of clamp 10. The upper corners of the side Walls 39 and 40 are flared outwardly as at 41 to provide entrance clearance for the extension 32 which is received by the channel 38 when the support is pivoted to its upright position. The inner surfaces of side walls 39 and 4t frictionally engage opposite surface portions of the extension 32 providing a reinforcing means for the pivotal mounting of the support 12 on the tab 26. This construction provides an attachment device which is extremely rigid at its pivot point about pin 23. Additional rigidity is provided for the support 12 at its pivot point by a U-shaped reinforcing member 36 which is disposed within the lower portion of the support 12 and is apertured to receive the screw 28 therethrough.

The support 12 is an elongated member which may be formed from flat stock into tubular sheath form having a generally rectangular cross section. Lengthwise concavely curved channels 42 and 44 are disposed interiorly and on opposite side wall portions of support 12 and terminate short of the opposite ends of the support. A slot 46 is provided adjacent the lower end of the support 12 and is of sufficient length to receive the upper arm portion of clamp 10, so that the support may be pivoted to the position shown in Fig. 4.

The upper portion of the tubular support 12 has a slot 43 through one of its narrow wall portions adjacent its upper end and a slot 511 disposed through the opposite narrow wall portion and open at the top end of the support. A clasp 52 is secured to the support 12, defines the upper end of slot 43, and holds the upper end of the support in its tubular form. An upwardly opening notch 54 is disposed adjacent one end of the bar 14 for engaging the lower edge portion of the clasp 52 and a downwardly opening notch 56 disposed for engaging the lower edge of the slot 50. This construction provides a two point support for bar 14 in its horizontal position shown in Fig. 1.

A projection or nub 58 extends outwardly from the bar 14 intermediate the notches 54 and 56 and is received by the channel 42 of the support 12. The projection 58 and the channel 42 form a guide means for acts as a sheath or housing for the bar 14. The slot 48' is of sufiicient length for receiving the end of the bar 14 when it is pivoted as described.

The lower terminal end of channel 42 and the projection 58 on bar 14 provides a stop or means for limiting the extent of the insertion of the bar 14' Within the sheath 12 and the upper end of channel 42 and projection 58 also act to prevent removal of the bar 14 from the sheath 12.

The bar 14 may be retained in its telescoped position within the sheath 12 by forcing the bar downwardly until the projection 58 frictionally engages the side wall of sheath 12 below the terminal end of channel 42. A preferred means of retaining or locking the bar within the sheath 12 may be provided by an indentation 60 which is disposed a short distance above the lower terminal end of the channel 42, and as the bar 14 is inserted the projection 58 may be snapped past the indentation 60 as best seen in Fig. 5. When the bar 14 is sheathed within the support 12, its upper end extends outwardly a few inches from the upper end of the support 12 so that a firm grasp may be taken on the bar 14 to pull it out of its locked position in the sheath 12.

As seen in Fig. 3, an alternate pivot and guideway construction for a hanger bar 14 may be provided by a pin 58' which extends from opposite sidewall portions of a support 12 which is otherwise generally similar to the construction of the support 12. The pin 58 is received by a guideway 42' which is a lengthwise slot cut through the bar 14' intermediate the ends of the bar and of a length approximately equal to the length of the channel 42 shown in Fig. l. The guideway slot 42 and pin 58' cooperate in the same manner as the channel 42 and projection 58 described above.

Preferably and as shown in Fig. 5 the bar 14 is of tubular construction providing a rigid member which is light in weight and which may be easily telescoped into and out of the sheath 12, but it could be of solid construction if desired.

With the bar 14 telescoped within the sheath 12 and locked in that position by the indentation 60, the sheath and support member 12 may be pivoted into engagement with the upper surface of the ironing board 8 (Fig. 4). This forms a compact arrangement and with the clamp 10 engaged with a side of the ironing board 8 adjacent its wide end, the major portion of the ironing surface of the board 8 is available for use withoutremoval of the attachment. Furthermore, since the attachment does not protrude to any great extend from the board and is firmly secured in its folded and telescoped position, the board may be folded and stowed away in the normal manner without removal or disassembly of the attachment. A further advantage of this device results from the smooth outer surfaces of the sheath 12 which receives the bar 14; When the attachment is not inuse since clothes which come into contact with the sheath 12 while being ironed will not be torn or snagged by rough or jagged edges. 7

What is claimed is:

l; A garment support attachment for ironing boards comprising means for removably clamping'said attachment to an ironing board, a support member in the form of a-sheath pivoted adjacent one end to said clamping.

means, a hanger bar member telescopically receivable within said support member, a guide way disposed intermediate the ends of one of said members, the other of said members including a projecting portion engaging in said guide way for limiting the extent of withdrawal or insertion of said bar member with respect to said support member, said projecting portion and guide way cooperating to provide a pivot for the angular movement of said bar with respect to said support member when the bar member is withdrawnfrom said sheath.

2. A garrnentsupport attachment for ironing boards comprising means for removably clamping, said attachmentto an ironing board, a support-member in the form o'f asheath' pivoted adjacent one end'to' said'clarnping means, a hanger bar' telescopically receivable within said sheath and pivotable adjacent the other 'endof-the support member when withdrawn from the sheath to a position at right angles to saidsuppo'rt' for receiving coat hangers and to another position in axial alignment with said support member for telescoping said bar into said sheath, said support member including an extension ottset from the pivotal connection of said member with said clamping means, said clamping means including a channel for receiving and engaging said extension when said support member is pivoted to an upright position.

3. A garment support attachment for ironing boards comprising means for removably clamping said attachment to an ironing board, a support member in theform of a sheath pivoted adjacent one end to said clamping means and including a guide way intermediate the ends .of said member, a hanger bar telescopically receivable within said sheath and including a projection received by said guide way, said projection and guide way providing a pivot for the angular movement of said bar with respect to said support member when withdrawn from the sheath 'and further limiting the telescopic movement of said bar into and out of said sheath.

4. A garment support attachment for ironing boards comprising means forremovably clamping said attachfrom said sheath, slots disposed in the upper end of said sheath having edge portions for engaging said bar and holding it in a positionatright angles to said sheath, the terminal ends of said guide way and said projection further providing means for limiting the inward and outward telescopic movement of said bar with respect to said sheath, and means engageable with said projection for releasably locking the bar in its telescoped position within said sheath.

5. A garment support attachment for ironing boards comprising means for removably clamping said attachment to an ironing board, a tubular support member in the form of a sheath pivoted adjacent'one end to said clamping means, a pivot pin disposed adjacent the other end of said support member and a hanger bar telescopically receivable Within said sheath and having a lengthwise slot intermediate the ends of said bar and receiving said pivot pin, said pin and said slot providing a pivot for the angular movement of said bar when with drawn from said sheath and further providing a stop means for the inward and outward telescopic movement of said bar with respect to said sheath.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

